Children are visual learners and media is a powerful learning tool. However teachers seldom receive direct instruction in best practices for the use of media resources. Make sure your faculty has access to these cutting-edge strategies. Help them learn how to integrate media into lesson plans that will boost student participation and educational outcomes.

Educators will gain the following skills:

Rubrics for using short film/media to improve literacy skills

Introduction to 21st century skills and their impact on learning

Methods to address common core frameworks by teaching with media

How to achieve multiple learning outcomes from showing a single short film

Students of all backgrounds watch more than a thousand hours of television and other media each year. What are they really learning from what they watch? How can educators use what media to improve academic performance and get ELL Students to participate in “extended response” discussions? This high-energy workshop shows educators how to use short films and videos to improve ELL student's work in the classroom. You'll learn essential techniques for using media to stimulate discussion, prompt critical thinking and improve students’ ability in many common core frameworks.

You’ll learn:

•An introduction to the basics of media literacy

•Strategies for engaging your students in dialog that supports classroom learning.

•Learning-rich activities to get students thinking critically after they’ve watched TV or movies.

3. Screen Smart® Strategies to End Summer Slump

Our youngest children are exposed to more media than ever and we all know what that means: too much “super hero play”, too much time spent with screens, and summer learning loss. So how do we help our youngest students develop a positive relationship to screens?

ICMC Executive Director Nicole Dreiske, uses a neuroscience-based strategy, focused on story telling and narrative to accelerate EC learning and end summer slump.

Educators will learn:

How to use short films to improve literacy skills and inferential reasoning.

Fun, physical movements to boost focus and student engagement

Articulation exercises that improve communication skills

Techniques for using screen time to elevate empathy

4. Instant RECESS – What to Do When Students Get “Wiggly”

Whether “wiggling and drifting” come from a sugar high, stress, or desire for attention, the “wiggles” can wreck a day of learning. So what do we do when students are losing focus?

This is when educators need Instant RECESS! The Instant RECESS workshop teaches PreK-8th Grade educators a unique series of physical and vocal techniques together with simple concentration and creativity exercises that boost classroom energy and focus. As an added benefit for students: research in neuroscience shows that regular exercise strengthens neural pathways and improves cognitive skills.

Instant RECESS Workshop Outline – 2 Hours

Background on the techniques & how exercise improves learning.

Physical Warm-up – Hands & Whole Body (Hands-on Participation)

Isolation exercises - In sync, on cue from instructor or peers (Hands-on Participation)